ŠKODA Transportation has been selected as preferred supplier for a contract to supply 31 low-floor LRVs in a deal worth around Koruna 2bn ($US 104m), which includes a Koruna 175m 10-year maintenance option.

The vehicles will be based on Škoda's ForCity design, and deliveries will begin within two years of the signing of the contract, which is expected to take place in January.

The tendering for new LRVs in Miskolc has been a protracted process, and this is the fourth time bids have been invited. In May 2010, inconsistencies were found in AnsaldoBreda's winning bid, which was subsequently annulled by the Hungarian public tendering body (KDb). A further call for tenders in Autumn 2010 was cancelled by the KDb before a winner could be announced after CAF disputed the method used to calculate the percentage of low-floor required.

Miskolc will be the third city to operate the ForCity. Škoda already has a contract to supply 250 three-section ForCitys to Prague (pictured) and last year secured an order for a further 20 vehicles from Riga.